The workgroup for the massage therapy Entry Level Analysis Project (ELAP) has completed its research and invited industry professionals to provide feedback on the first draft of its blueprint on what potentially could be included in entry-level massage education.

ELAP is a cooperative venture by the coalition of major national organizations in the massage therapy profession: Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, American Massage Therapy Association, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, Massage Therapy Foundation, and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Its goal is to provide research-informed recommendations on essential elements of entry-level education.

The ELAP work group has reviewed more than 14 different massage therapy surveys, projects and documents from a wide variety of organizations, as well as state regulatory boards. This process has led to ideas for how entry-level massage therapy education might change and evolve and the development of an initial draft of an entry-level curriculum map. The final map will define the essential elements of an entry-level curriculum necessary for safe and competent practice in a massage career.

The group requests the input of everyone in the massage therapy profession to narrow down this first draft compendium of possible curriculum content and help define the core knowledge/skills essential to successfully practice massage. All are invited to go online, view the short videos that describe this project, and share thoughts on the topics of their choice at www.elapmassage.org.

This process begins now and extends through Aug. 19, 2013.

Feedback will inform the workgroup members as they revise the blueprint to better reflect the profession’s perspectives. The final project report will be published as a resource for our profession.

The group reminds everyone that its recommendations do not change any current massage therapy regulations. However, it is intended that the final product will be considered and utilized by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) to develop its model practice act.

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